Chapter 4

About the same time with Justin the Martyr, St. Polycarp, bishop ofSmyrna, was put to death. He was a very old man; for it was almostninety years since he had been converted from heathenism. He hadknown St. John, and is supposed to have been made bishop of Smyrnaby that Apostle himself, and he had been a friend of St. Ignatius,who, as we have seen, suffered martyrdom fifty years before. Fromall these things, and from his wise and holy character, he waslooked up to as a father by all the churches, and his mild advicehad sometimes put all end to differences of opinion which but forhim might have turned into lasting quarrels.

When the persecution reached Smyrna, in the reign of MarcusAurelius, a number of Christians suffered with great constancy, andthe heathen multitude, being provoked at their refusal to give up their faith, cried out for the death of Polycarp. The aged bishop,although he was ready to die for his Saviour, remembered that it wasnot right to throw himself in the way of danger; so he left thecity, and went first to one village in the neighbourhood and then toanother. But he was discovered in his hiding-place, and when he sawthe soldiers who were come to seize him, he calmly said, "God's willbe done!" He desired that some food should be given to them, andwhile they were eating, he spent the time in prayer. He was then seton an ass, and led towards Smyrna; and, when he was near the town,one of the heathen magistrates came by in his chariot, and took himup into it. The magistrate tried to persuade Polycarp to sacrificeto the gods; but finding that he could make nothing of him, hepushed him out of the chariot so roughly that the old man fell andbroke his leg. But Polycarp bore the pain without showing how muchhe was hurt, and the soldiers led him into the amphitheatre, wheregreat numbers of people were gathered together. When all these sawhim, they set up loud cries of rage and savage delight; but Polycarpthought, as he entered the place, that he heard a voice saying tohim, "Be strong and play the man!" and he did not heed all theshouting of the crowd. The governor desired him to deny Christ, andsaid that, if he would, his life should be spared. But the faithfulbishop answered "Fourscore and six years have I served Christ, andHe hath never done me wrong; how then can I now blaspheme my Kingand Saviour?" The governor again and again urged him, as if in afriendly way, to sacrifice; but Polycarp stedfastly refused. He nextthreatened to let wild beasts loose on him, and as Polycarp stillshowed no fear, he said that he would burn him alive. "You threatenme," said the bishop, "with a fire which lasts but a short time; butyou know not of that eternal fire which is prepared for the wicked."A stake was then set up, and a pile of wood was collected around it.Polycarp walked to the place with a calm and cheerful look, and, asthe executioners were going to fasten him to the stake with iron cramps, he begged them to spare themselves the trouble. "He whogives me the strength to bear the flames," he said. "will enable meto remain steady." He was therefore only tied to the stake withcords, and as he stood thus bound, he uttered a thanksgiving forbeing allowed to suffer after the pattern of his Lord and Saviour.When his prayer was ended, the wood was set on fire, but we are toldthat the flames swept round him, looking like the sail of a shipswollen by the wind, while he remained unhurt in the midst of them.One of the executioners, seeing this, plunged a sword into themartyr's breast, and the blood rushed forth in such a stream that itput out the fire. But the persecutors, who were resolved that theChristians should not have their bishop's body, lighted the woodagain, and burnt the corpse, so that only a few of the bonesremained; and these the Christians gathered out, and gave them anhonourable burial. It was on Easter eve that St. Polycarp suffered,in the year of our Lord 166.